Late Late Show Slur on Cork Woman

25th Nov 2008

Late Late Show Slur on Cork Woman
Danny Elbow

RTE presenter Pat Kenny has officially lost the run of himself. Berating a Cork caller live on air for appearing not to be grateful for the competition prize she had just won was irresponsible and unfitting for a presenter in command of a show that claims to draw the biggest television audience on the island.

For those of you who didn't see the Late Late or the youtube clip now circulating online, Kenny called a competition winner live on air without naming her - simply informing us that it was an 021 number. He informed the woman that she had won ten thousand euro in shopping vouchers, a weekend in Dublin and two tickets to the Late Late Toy Show.

The woman, clearly nervous and possibly frozen still by the fact that everything she said was being beamed into homes around the country, did not give Kenny the ego-massaging whooping and shouting that he so clearly desired.

"If they tortured her they couldn't get anymore out of this woman", Pat snorted with guest Charlie Bird sniggering in unison.

Having insulted her on national television Kenny then asked her who she would be bringing to the Late Late Toy Show. She quietly replied that she wouldn't be interested in attending but that he could raffle them instead.

Clearly shocked at such a public and unedited dissing of his show, The Plank, then lost the rag. Taking the "precious" tickets from his inside jacket pocket he ceremoniously tore them to shreds and tossed them childishly on the table.

The sulking soliloquy which followed claimed unfathomable ungratefulness. To be clear to those who have not seen the footage at no point did the woman use threatening or abusive language, she didn't say anything negative about the show, about Pat himself, about his large pay packet or why most guests on the show seem to be RTE staff.

She simply told Pat that she wouldn't be interested in attending his Late Late Toy Show. She was cordial, polite and said thanks several times but this was drowned out by Pat's incredulous and all too hasty offence.

Planky about to phone the Cork woman

One spin is that the winner was ungrateful. Another equally valid one is that she couldn't attend the Toy Show for personal reasons that she didn't want to reveal - her undeniable right. You could easily argue that the woman took offence to Kenny's remark about "torturing her" and decided not stick it to him where it hurt. Dowtcha girl.

Pat and those who rushed to pour judgement on this unsuspecting Cork woman made an unsubstantiated inference that she should have been jumping up and down at having received this prize.

Was there any consideration that the woman might have been having a bad day, perhaps be suffering from an illness, or maybe be worried about a sick relative? Or simply that she was not in a position to scream with joy down the phone? Just because she spoke with a calm and collected tone doesn't automatically imply that the woman wasn't delighted to have bagged the cash.

There are tens of thousands of possibilities to why the woman was tight lipped and didn't want to attend the (often bland) toy show. It's outrageous that Pat naturally chose the worst possibility. Who would blame a Corkonian for not being enthusiastic about visiting Dublin?

Does Pat arrogantly assume that anyone he rings should be media savvy and lavish him with articulate compliments befitting of RTE's in-house PR department? If he decides to call somebody on air who has not been vetted by a producer then he runs "the risk" of an ordinary joe soap simply telling it like it is.

Instead Kenny chose to sneer and mock the Cork woman of whose affairs he knows nothing. The only things he knew about her were her name, address and phone number.

Kenny eyes up an ungrateful toy

To add to the inconsiderate and blinkered attitude at the Dublin station, the presenter began his Monday morning radio slot with a preposterous five minute rant about Friday night's winner's ingratitude farcically portraying himself as the victim. Astoundingly he claimed the tickets to the Toy Show were off more value than All-Ireland final and Munster Vs All Black tickets!!

Clearly the Cork lady had upset his weekend with her perceived non-cooperation and tight lipped response to his late night Montrose "charm". Despite tearing them up on screen Kenny revealed, as if to claim the moral high ground, that the tickets now would be raffled for charity (this was the winner's suggestion anyway).

While we're on the subject it's important that the prize money of €10,000 is put into perspective. While in Kenny's mind, this woman should have stripped off and run around her street naked screaming "I love Pat" for the sum involved, the amount of money must be put in context.

Remember that not so long ago Gerry Ryan claimed that he should be paid as much as Pat Kenny, who now earns a mind boggling €900,000 per year. So while this woman is berated for her apparent ingratitude, in the few days since the Late Late Show Pat Kenny has earned more than the prize he gave away - €17,000 to be precise.

When was the last time you heard Pat Kenny and RTE's other enriched presenters sincerely thanking TV license fee payers for the enormous contribution to their vast wealth? The irony of their claims of public ungratefulness rings loud around the Peoples Republic.

To see the clip google "Youtube Pat Kenny humiliated"